AU-KBC Research Centre
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCIENTISTS
The AU-KBC Research Centre is conceived as a part of an innovation eco-system aimed at creation of research-based IP in typical Indian academic environments and their commercial exploitation for the Indian and global markets. The programs of the Centre combine the Academic with the Industrial, the Theoretical with the Experimental, the Long-term with the Short-term – and cover the areas of Life Sciences and Information Sciences.
Presently the Centre is in the process of expansion and is looking for research scientists and engineers who want to become partners in this exciting endeavor.
We are interested in scientists at the following levels-
· Those who can be Principal Investigators (independent researchers) right away
· Those who may need to work here for one-two years before becoming PI s
· Those who might want to join us a PDF s.
Our requirements are in the following areas-
· Life Sciences, focused on molecular processes and mechanisms of human diseases and drugs, including bioinformatics and modeling
· Natural Language Processing and Knowledge Discovery Technologies.
· Wireless Communications
· Cryptography and Network/Communication Security.
· Computer Science, especially with applications to the above areas.
The following are some of the general terms and conditions of engagement that would be available to the scientists joining as PI s at the Centre-
1. PI s at the Centre have a dual identity - they are employed by KBCRF Pvt. Ltd (a not-for-profit entity), but work in the AU-KBC Research Centre of Anna University enjoying certain academic privileges of the University faculty. This includes taking and supervising students for M.S. (By Research) and Ph.D. Programs of Anna University, applying for Research Grants through Anna University, organizing conferences, workshops etc. in Anna University, Teaching Courses to students of the University, etc. Their work at the Centre is governed by the rules and regulations of the Centre as laid down by the Governing Council (GC) of the Centre.
2. The PI’s are strongly encouraged to generate their own IP s whose ownership is held jointly by Anna University and KBCRF Pvt. Ltd.; with the latter having ‘right-of-first-refusal’ for their commercial exploitation. The PI’s have a share in the revenue generated through the sale or commercialisation of the IP, as per norms laid down by the GC of the Centre. The PI also has the option of seeking venture funding for his/her IP so that he/she can set up his/her own business around the IP, with a revenue-sharing arrangement with AU and KBCRF.
3. PI s at the Centre have access to Svapas Innovations which is a Product/Business Development Facility situated adjacent to the University campus. This is a for-profit company promoted by K B Chandrasekhar to encourage and enable the commercialisation of the IP s generated at AU-KBC Centre within the framework of a revenue-sharing arrangement involving all the players
4. As AU-KBC centre is not primarily a teaching entity but a research entity, teaching is not the central component of the work definition of the PI at the Centre. However, interested PIs can take up a limited amount of teaching work – for the research scholars of our centre itself, as well as for other scholars and students of the university—in their fields of expertise. This is also one of the ways in which the Centre contributes to the work of the University system – one of the goals of setting up the Centre within the University.
5. Within guidelines and directions of the Centre, the scientists joining the centre are strongly encouraged to get their own R&D grants, set up their laboratories and become independent researchers as soon as possible. There are normally no hierarchies of senior/junior in such matters.
6. The following are the general expectations that the centre has from the PIs, and they are expected to fulfill one or more of these -
Ø Produce quality research out put in one’s field, as accepted and acknowledged by the global scientific/technological community in that filed – papers, patents, designs, prototypes, products, theses, books, monographs, etc. These are expected to contribute closely to the identified core areas of interest to the centre.
Ø Take research students at the M.S.(By Research) and Ph. D. levels in one’s areas of expertise, and supervise their theses work as per Anna University guidelines.
Ø Bring in research grants from funding agencies in order to build up the R&D resource base at the centre (both material and human) and deliver quality research out put to establish the center’s name in the concerned community, national and global.
Ø Generate IP s having commercial potential, and work with Svapas Innovations or other entities for their commercial exploitation as per prevalent norms and agreements.
Ø Take up consulting, contract R&D, training etc. with the goal of building up strong skill base and linkages as well as generating revenue for the centre within a sharing framework as per norms.
Ø Establish linkages and networks with other leading researchers and institutions in the area of one’s specialty, locally and globally, so that strong collaborative programs can emerge in the core areas of interest to the Centre. Inviting visitors, organizing conferences and seminars as well as participating in them, participating in multi institutional projects and programs etc. are some of the ways of building such networks.
